Professional fees of doctors, must be shouldered by PCSO — Cong. Co
HOUSE Speaker Martin Romualdez, Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co, and Deputy Majority Leader Erwin Tulfo want the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to shoulder the doctor’s professional fees so the poor patients didn’t have to shell out their own money.
According to Cong. Co, “Usually sagot na ng medical assistance for indigent patient o MAIP ang bayad sa ospital at yung assistance for individuals in crisis situation o AICS ng DSWD”.
“Pero ang kadalasang problema ng mga pasyente ay ang pambayad sa mga doctor na hindi naman tumatanggap ng MAIP o AICS”, Co added.
According to the representative of AKO Bicol Partylist, only the PCSO’s guarantee letter (GL) is accepted by most health professionals as their payment.
As for Cong. Tulfo, “this is a great relief to patients who usually can’t be discharged out of the hospital immediately because they can’t pay the professional fee, even in government hospitals.”
It was learned that the said agency is in favor of the said proposal, according to its General Manager, Mel Robles.
“Yan ang malimit na nilalapit ng mga kababayan natin ang pambayad sa mga doktor,” Robles said.
Cong. Co will file the said bill and Speaker Romualdez and Tulfo will be his co-authors.
